Julie and Rich Pollack: Airports: The full economic impact

The perceived balance between human activity is measured by its economic impact, and human activity measured by its environmental and quality of life impact is typically tilted heavily in favor of economic impacts. Environmental and quality of life issues are considered “soft” and variable, while economic impacts are “hard” and measurable.

Thousands of unrelenting examples of businesses, politicians and corporations taking advantage of people and the environment purely in the name of economics indicate that we’ve become indoctrinated to think that any business that adds economic value has precedence over almost any concern or issue that might interfere with its ability to operate as it pleases. It’s this perspective that has led to the vilification of local residents who ask/beg for more oversight of the incessant noise and pollution generated by many aviation operators at local airports. It’s also evident in recent articles in both the Daily Camera covering the economic impact on local airports of the state’s measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.

While we don’t dispute that local airports are economic engines that provide jobs and value to the community, local newspapers do readers a disservice by not also reporting (with similar depth and concern) that their impact on the community is much broader than just the revenue generated. Regulating the steadily increasing aircraft noise and leaded aviation fuel emissions that impact the environment and quality of life in our communities should be examined and reported with the same seriousness and depth as the economic impacts. If the current efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have shown us anything, it’s that we should have all the available facts and acknowledge and listen to everyone’s concerns, not just those of governments and businesses.

Julie and Rich Pollack

Boulder

Tommy Lorden: Public Lands Day: LWCF helps fund state’s lands

Colorado Public Lands Day on May 16 is a day to celebrate and be grateful for our beloved public lands. Recreation and access to pristine public lands are vital to Coloradans, and our current circumstances show why public lands mean so much to us. Our ability to recreate responsibly at a safe distance has given us the opportunity to get a much-needed refresher from these stressful times.

Recognizing the importance of our public lands, we need to give extra thanks to programs that have protected our legacy. The Land and Water Conservation Fund stands out as a historic program that has provided funding for our beloved national parks, community trails and parks, and national historic sites. All of this is funded using revenues from offshore drilling, providing benefits without a single tax dollar. Here in Boulder LWCF has provided grants that helped with the acquisition of our beloved Boulder Reservoir and with the development of Scott Carpenter Park and more.

However, LWCF has seen its share of setbacks. LWCF has only seen full funding once in its 50-plus-year history, as these funds are often diverted elsewhere. The introduction of the Great American Outdoors Act, sponsored by Sens. Bennet and Gardner, provides LWCF with a tremendous opportunity: full funding in perpetuity. Thanks to our Colorado senators for supporting the future of our public lands through programs like LWCF.

Tommy Lorden

Boulder

Loren Pahlke: Bolder Boulder: 2020 race can’t be held safely

Bolder Boulder officials chose the right date, Labor Day, for a rescheduled race. Sadly, they chose the wrong year.

The hard truth is that the race that counts, the coronavirus race, has only one milestone that matters: the widespread distribution of an effective vaccine. Other markers might buoy our spirits, but they don’t shorten the distance to the point where we can finally stop running. We know where the finish line for a vaccine is — September 2021 — and losing focus on that goal means that more of us will fall along the way.

Consider this scenario. Assume the number of BB participants in a 2020 race is half the usual, with 25,000 runners and 35,000 spectators. Further assume that 0.25% are infected and spreading coronavirus during the race, meaning that 150 participants are active carriers. If each of those infects one other person during the activities, we end up with 150 new cases, perhaps half of them asymptomatic. With a crude case fatality rate of 5% of the symptomatic cases, 4 people die as a direct consequence of the race.

In an entirely predictable chain of misery, setting the race date to Labor Day 2020 means that infected racers and spectators will attend and spread the virus to others, some of whom will die. Those unlucky dead will be, in essence, the victims of premeditated murder.

The City of Boulder should not abet this crime by issuing permits or closing off streets. What we should do is protect the residents of the city, particularly those with preexisting conditions and the many of us who are just plain old. Here in a community that agonizes over each traffic death, we must do what is right: Admit the 2020 Bolder Boulder cannot be run safely. Let’s cancel the race, before the race cancels any of us.

Loren Pahlke

Boulder

Krista Nordback: 20 is plenty: Encourage slower driving

I’m heartened to see that Boulder City Council supports lowering speed limits on residential roads to 20 miles per hour (20 is plenty). Now with more of us walking in the street and crossing roads midblock to maintain social distancing, slowing vehicle speeds is especially important. 20 is plenty sends a message to everyone that slower speeds are expected. As part of a larger effort citywide to calm traffic, this change could encourage drivers to go slow throughout the city, resulting in reducing injuries and saving lives. No one should die on our roads.